Morton, Hartford Ohio County News, February 10, 1897

Another Kentucky Lynching.

BOWLING GREEN, KY., Feb. 4—Robert Morton, colored, was hanged by a mob about three miles from Rockfield, shortly after midnight last night. The lynchers went about the work in a quiet way, and the people of this vicinity were so reticent on the subject that nothing was known here of the affair until noon to-day. Rockfield is a little station on the L. and N., ten miles from this city.

It is said that the negro, a son of a section hand at Rockfield, yesterday wrote an insulting and insinnating [sic] note to Miss Tommie Johnson, a well known white woman of Rockfield. When this became known a posse started to arrest him, he ran, and the officers gave chase, capturing him only after threatening him several times. After his arrest, he was taken to a house on the Russellville pike, not far from town, and put under guard until he could be brought here and lodged in jail.

About 12 o’clock a party of men appeared at the house, overpowered the guards, and took the prisoner away from them. They then proceeded with him about three miles from Rockfield, and hanged him and quietly dispersed, going to their homes. 

NOT LYNCHED

BOWLING GREEN, KY., Feb. 8.—Robert Morton, the negro boy who was taken from his home near Rockfield, ten miles south of Bowling Green, Thursday night by a mob, has not yet been found. It is claimed by the people of this city that the negro was not lynched, but only severely whipped.

Morton’s offense consisted in sending an offensive letter to Miss Timmie Johnson, of Rockfield. Her friends heard of this and several young men went to the home the negro, took him to the woods and gave him one hundred lashed on his back. It is said the boy left the country, fearing more serious punishment.